This relates generally to imaging systems and, more particularly, to imaging systems with high dynamic range functionalities.
Modern electronic devices such as cellular telephones, cameras, and computers often use digital image sensors. Imager sensors (sometimes referred to as imagers) may be formed from a two-dimensional array of image sensing pixels. Each pixel receives incident photons (light) and converts the photons into electrical signals. Each pixel is covered by a corresponding microlens. Image sensors are sometimes designed to provide images to electronic devices using a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
Conventional imaging systems also may have images with artifacts associated with low dynamic range. Scenes with bright and dark portions may produce artifacts in conventional image sensors, as portions of the low dynamic range images may be over exposed or under exposed. Multiple low dynamic range images may be combined into a single high dynamic range image, but this typically introduces artifacts, especially in dynamic scenes.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved imaging systems with high dynamic range functionalities.